Wireless communications has been evolving toward ever increasing data rates (e.g., from IEEE 802.11a/g to IEEE 802.11n to IEEE 802.11ac). In high-density deployment situations, overall system efficiency may become more important than higher data rates. For example, in high-density hotspot and cellular offloading scenarios, many devices competing for the wireless medium may have low to moderate data rate requirements (with respect to the very high data rates of IEEE 802.11ac). The frame structure used for conventional and legacy IEEE 802.11 communications including very-high throughput (VHT) communications may be less suitable for such high-density deployment situations. The recently-formed Task Group for High Efficiency WLAN referred to as the IEEE 802.11ax is addressing these high-density deployment scenarios.
One issue with HEW is defining an efficient communication structure that is able to reuse at least some IEEE 802.11ac hardware, such as tone allocation and the block interleaver circuitry. Another issue with HEW is defining an efficient communication structure that suitable for use with longer OFDM symbol durations, particularly OFDM symbols having a duration four-times (4×) as long as the standard (1×) symbol duration or longer. Another issue with HEW is defining an efficient communication structure that suitable for use with longer OFDM symbol durations for communicating over wider bandwidths, such as 40 MHz and 80 MHz bandwidths.
Thus, there are general needs for devices and methods that improve overall system efficiency in wireless networks, particularly for high-density deployment situations. There are also general needs for devices and methods suitable for HEW communications. There are also general needs for devices and methods suitable for HEW communications that can communicate in accordance with an efficient communication structure and that is able to reuse at least some conventional hardware. There are also general needs for devices and methods suitable for HEW communications that can communicate in accordance with an efficient communication structure for using OFDM symbols of a longer duration including an efficient communication structure that suitable for use with longer OFDM symbol durations for communicating over wider bandwidths, such as 40 MHz and 80 MHz bandwidths.